QT Sells its Three Car Washes

Company says "return on investment is better spent" on traditional stores

January 04, 2010

TULSA, Okla. -- QuikTrip Corp. is washing its hands of the car wash business after a two-year trial. The convenience store chain has sold its three drive-thru car washes to Zip's Car Wash of Jonesboro, Ark., the Tulsa-based company confirmed Tuesday.

"We always wanted to test car washes, and they were successful, but the return on investment is better spent on stores," QuikTrip spokesperson Mike Thornbrugh told the Tulsa World.

The company did not disclose terms of the sales, which were completed Tuesday.

QuikTrip built its first car wash in Glenpool, [image-nocss] Okla., two years ago and subsequently opened two more in Wichita, Kan., the newspaper reported.

All three were on lots adjacent to QuikTrip convenience stores. Thornbrugh said the sales of the car washes and accompanying properties will not affect gasoline sales or other store operations.

The car washes will operate independently of the QuikTrip stores, and the changeover was immediate.

QuikTrip announced last year that it would not open any more car washes, citing high costs to build and operate the facilities.

"We might have built more if they were more successful, but it didn't work out," Thornbrugh said.

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